INSTITUTE, W.Va. -- Trailing 12-10 in the deciding set, the Fairmont State (18-14) volleyball team stormed back and captured five of the final six rallies of the match to defeat the No. 2 seed of the MEC South, Charleston (24-10), in the Mountain East Conference Volleyball Tournament Quarterfinals on Thursday (Nov. 16) at the Walker Convocation Center in Institute, W.Va.

"We knew it was going to be a fight," said Fairmont State Head Volleyball Coach Travis Hinkle. "We played five sets versus them our first meeting, and we knew they were not going to give up. Charleston is a talented team and the roster is full of competitors. We found ways to score, and that is what we have worked on all season."

Leading the scoring effort for Fairmont State was All-MEC Freshman Team honoree Ellie Zuro. The outside hitter from Wadsworth, Ohio racked up a season-high 23 kills and compiled a .386 hitting percentage. Her teammate Joey Borelle added 15 kills and 18 digs in the Falcons' win.

"I give credit to Joey [Borelle] and Josie [Skinn] in the back row for their defensive efforts and for JJ [Bouarouy] for her setting," said Zuro. "JJ knows the right person to set on every ball. She helped us out offensively today."

Setters Jaianna Bouarouy and Kelsie Dangerfield facilitated the Fairmont State offense and combined to pass 45 assists. Josie Skinn chipped in nine assists in the Falcons' offensive attack. As a team, Fairmont State hit .248 and tallied 58 assists. Defensively, Fairmont State totaled 22 block assists and one block solo and held UC to a .148 hitting percentage. Freshman Natalie Zemba accumulated seven block assists and one block solo. FSU snagged 77 digs as a team with Skinn notching 21 digs. The All-MEC First Team libero has grabbed 20 or more digs in 16 matches this season.

"We talk a lot about doing our job," said Borelle. "Josie Skinn held down the back row for us today. We all know we can come together and do whatever it takes, and that is how it has gone all season for us."

In the first set, Fairmont State jumped out to a 9-3 lead after scoring five-straight points. Dangerfield dropped a pair of service aces in the scoring spree for the Falcons. UC trimmed the Falcons' lead to 10-7 after winning three of the next four rallies. FSU extended its lead to seven points after a kill by Josie Nobbe and a pair of Charleston attack errors. A pair of kills from Borelle increased the Fairmont State lead to 22-14. UC ripped off a 5-1 run to come within four points of the Falcons. A Zuro kill and a Charleston attack error ended the first set with a 25-19 Fairmont State win.

With Charleston holding a 5-4 lead in the second set, Borelle and Zemba combined for three-consecutive kills and helped the Falcons regain control of the lead, 7-5. Charleston leaped back in front and scored five unanswered points. Zuro fired back consecutive kills and put the Falcons back in the lead, 12-11. The lead swung back to UC after the Golden Eagles won five of the next six decisions to take a 16-13 advantage. A pair of kills by Zuro, a kill by Borelle, a service ace by Skinn and a combo block by Nobbe and Zemba erased the deficit and put FSU back in front, 18-16. Charleston once again rallied and evened the score, 18-18. The Falcons captured six of the final seven rallies of the second set to push across the finish line with a 25-19 win in set two. Zemba and Chloe McDaniel recorded kills in the final Falcons' push at the end of the set.

Zemba collected a kill that put her team ahead 9-6 early in set three. The Golden Eagles found their rhythm offensively and tore off eight consecutive points to take a 14-9 lead. A combo block by McDaniel and Emma Ludwig, a Bouarouy service ace and block assists by Zuro and Ludwig cut the UC lead to 14-12. After exchanging the next six rallies, the Falcons crept within one point of the Golden Eagles after a Nobbe kill and a UC attack error. The Golden Eagles added to their lead with a 3-0 scoring run and led by four late in the set. Fairmont State trimmed the UC lead back to one point after kills by Zuro and Bouarouy. The Golden Eagles escaped the sweep and won the final two points of set three, 25-22.

The Golden Eagles started the fourth set by winning six of the first 10 rallies. The Falcons evened the score at 7-7 after Borelle put down a kill that was assisted by Dangerfield. UC reclaimed its lead after a 3-0 scoring run and maintained the advantage through the middle of the set. The Falcons rallied with a 5-0 scoring run that evaporated the Charleston lead. Consecutive service aces by Skinn and a combo block by Nobbe and Zemba gave the Falcons an 18-17 cushion late in the fourth set. Charleston and FSU exchanged the lead twice down the stretch of the fourth set. Borelle and Zemba teammed up for a block that evened the count at 23-23. UC collected the final two points of the set and forced a winner-take-all fifth set.

With the fifth set tied at 4-4, Zuro put down her 22nd kill of the afternoon that pulled the Falcons ahead by one point. Nobbe followed on the next point with a kill that was assisted by Skinn to give FSU a two-point advantage. Charleston raced ahead with a trio of unanswered points to go up 7-6. Kills by Nobbe and Borelle evened the score at 7-7 and 8-8. The momentum swung back in Charleston's favor after UC won three-straight points and forced a Fairmont State timeout at 11-8. Ludwig and Borelle swung for kills to close the margin to one point. After a UC point, the Falcons answered with four-straight points and seized a 14-12 lead. A Ludwig kill and a trio of UC attack errors set up match point for the Falcons. Zuro sealed the win for the Falcons on her 23rd kill that was assisted by Bouarouy and FSU won the five-set battle versus UC in the MEC Quarterfinals.

With the win, Fairmont State advances to the MEC Semifinals. The Falcons will play the winner of the Frostburg State/Wheeling match tomorrow (Nov. 17) at 7:30 p.m. from Institute, W.Va.

"We have some homework to do since we are missing class this week," said Borelle. "We are going to rest, hydrate and be ready to go for tomorrow's match."